Vending machine



June 1 w. J. GOUD\EAU VENDING MACHINE Original Filed 00% 1923 i i M MINVENTOR.

14/ J. G azwlea u w. J. GOUDEAU VENDING MACHINE June 1 1926.

Or 'nal Filed 1 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. I MJ ouolea'u ATTORNEY.

Patented June 1, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,587,114 PATENT OFFICE.

WILTON J. GQUDEAU, OF DRIVER, ARKANSAS.

VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed October 22, 1923, Serial No. 670,043. Renewed January30, 1826-.

This invention relates to vending nachines, and particularly to avending machine having coin actuated means, the machinebeingparticularly designed for vending tablets, boxes of stationery,writing paper, composition books, copy books, and like articles.

The general object of this invention is to provide a mechanism of thischaracter which is very simple, which may be readily operated, and inwhich the extractor or article support is held from any deliverymovement until a coin is dropped in the coin slot, thedetent whichholdsthe extractor or 'deliverer from delivery movement being thenautomatically raised .upon a forward. movement oithe delivering tray andlifted out of its locking position to permit the outward movement of thetray to a certain extent sufiicient to permit the article to be graspedand withdrawn.

A further object is to provide a detent so constructed that the tabletafter it is once SlllftGLlOllllZVvEtlCl cannot be shifted inward againso as to prevent any return movement of the tablet orother article andthis device acting until the article is en-- tirely extracted. i

A still further object is to provide mean for forcing the articleintoengagement with this 'detent'.

Another objeet'is to provide means which will prevent the removal of the.tablet or other article from the delivery tray with out an outwardmovement of the trayitselt.

Still another object is .to provide a device of thischaracterin whichthe coin deposited in the coin slot after 'itihasgraised the latchholding the extractor will be shifted into such position that the coinnallydeposited will prevent coin subsequentlydeposited from droppingdirectly under any circumstancesinto the coin box but will cause thiscoin to move downward into position to engage said latch.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l isafront viewof a vending machine constructed in accordance\vitlrmy invention;

Figure 2 is a if aginentary verticalsectional View thereof on the line 2-2 of au e Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional viewthereof onthe same lines as Figure 2, but showing the delivering tray pulled outand showing in dotted lines how the article is withdrawn from the traywhen so pulled out;

li igure a is a vertical sectionthrough the vendin machine on the linel& of Figure 1, the coin actuated mechanism being in elevation Figure 5is a section on the same plane as Figure 4 but showing the action of thecoin in'iechanism when the tray is drawn out;

Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line 67601 Figure a;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section on the line .7.7 of Figure 4;

' Referring to these drawings, 10 designates the casing enclosing the'magazine ll within which articles f are disposed. This casing, ofcourse, has the shape of the articles in .planview. Thus, for instance,the casing-is shown as rectangular in form to containa plurality oftablets not writing paper, though it is to be understood'thatotherarticles of alike general form may be disposed in this casingandthat thecasing will be so formed as to approximately fitthesearticles. The upper endof thecasing ,10;is closed by a top 12having a hinge 13 ,andany suitable lock whereby the lid-may be lockedafter the casing lO'is filled.

The lower .end ,ofthe magazine is supported upon a base 14 formed toprovide a coinbox .15. Disposed in the lower end of the magaz'ineandabove the coin loo- X- is a tray 16 in the form of a drawer, this trayhaving an upwardly extending flange 17 at its rear end and the forwardend of the tray is formed with upwardly extending flanges 18 at itslateral ends. This tray is insertable into the casing of the machinethrough the'slot or opening l9and the tray operates within this opening.The tray n'iay be mounted on suitable guides whereby it may slide in andout in the manner of a drawer. The rear portionotf the easing 10 at thejunction ofthe magazine with the baseis ofi'set, as at20, to acconinodate theiflange 17. The .under face ofthe tray carries a depending lug21, to whicha contractile spring 22 is attached urgingthe tray downwardinto .the magazine. The forward end of the tray at its middle isprovided with a downwardly directed handle 23 which at its middle isformed with a finger slot 2%. The tray carries a resilient prong whichextends up through a slot or opening in the tray and bears against theunder side of the article A.

Mounted upon the front wall of the magazine and immediately above theopening 19 is what may be termed a pawl 26. This prong or pawl issharp-pointed and is pivoted and extends downward and forward so that itbears against the upper face of the article A. Preferably a spring willurge this pawl downward into this position. It is obvious now that upona forward movement or retractile movement on one of the articles A, thispawl 25 will permit this forward movement without affecting or in anyway engaging the article, but that if the tray he suddenly released andstarts backward under the action of the spring 22, this pawl. or prong25 will engage the article and will prevent a rearward 1novement of thearticle and of the tray itself. In other words, this pawl or prong 25holds the tablet or other article being vended out and the extractor outuntil the tablet is completely removed. Then the extractor may go backto its original position under the action of the spring.

For the purpose of holding the tray from retractile movement applied tothe handle until the proper coin has been deposited, I provide a coinguide which extends downward from a coin slot 27 at the side of themachine and to a point below the movable tray. It discharges into arelatively narrow compartment 28. Immediately below the coin guide andin this compartment is disposed a strip 29 having a thickness at leastequal to that of the coin and the forward end of this strip terminatesshort of the front wall of the compartment 15 so that a coin may dropthrough the slot or passage 30 thus formed. Rearward of the forward endof the strip 29 the upper face of the strip is downwardly and rearwardlyinclined, as at 31, and then upwardly curved, as at 32, and rearward ofthis upper curvature or seat 32 there is formed a notch 33.

Pivotally mounted upon the side wall of the casing or upon any othersuitable support is a latch 34. This is pivoted at 35 and is urgeddownward by a spring 36. This latch at its free end is formed with aprojecting finger 37 and below this finger with a rounded face, whichwith the lower edge of the latch constitutes a detent tooth 38 engagingin the notch 33, while the finger 37 projects out over any coin whichmay be disposed on the seat 32.

The operation of this unlocking device will be obvious. The coin isdropped in the coin slot, passes down the chute 26, and is dischargedupon the inclined face 31, where it rolls down to the seat 22 and rollsbeneath the finger 37. In this position if the tray be pulled outwardthe latch will move with it and the coin will roll up the incline 3i andas it does so li ts the latch out of the notch 33, thus entirelyreleasing the tray. is the tray moves forward, the latch pushes the coinupward into a position between thrhighest point of the strip 29 and theunder curved face 39 of the coin slot 30. At that point the coin ispressed against the side wall of the passage by means of a leaf sprin;-'4.0. At this time the tray has been pulled out to its full extent andcan go no further, The tablet then pulled out by hand and when thetablet has been fully retracted the tray is released and is pulledinward by the spring 22, the coin being left engaged by the spring 4.0.In this position the coin will prevent a second coin inserted in thecoin chute 26 from bouncing into the passage 3t. but will guide the coindownward to the seat 32. It will be obvious, of course, as the new coinis brought forward by the retraction of the tray it will push theoriginal coin out and into the coin passage 30 and allow it to drop downinto the coin receptacle 15. The underface of the slide or tray isformed with a slot 4-1, or opening through which the finger may beinserted after the tray has been pulled out whereby the tablet or otherarticle to be vended will be lifted up, raising the detent 25, and thetablet then entirely removed from the tray. Normally. however, thisopening or slot 41 is disposed inward of the front wall of the casing 10so that the finger cannot be inserted through this opening in an effortto-manip ulate the articles to be vended. It will be seen that theflange 18 prevents any removal of the tablet without the retraction ofthe tray and that the tray cannot be retracted unless the coin has beendeposited.

The operation of the mechanism will be obvious from what has gone beforeand it is not believed to be necessary to repeat it. As before remarked,while the device is par ticularly designed for vending flat articlessuch as tablets, boxes of stationery, copy books, etc., it may beadapted for vending other different merchandise without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. I do not wish to be limited to the exactconstruction illustrated, as it is obvious that many changes might bemade in the construction and in the general finish of the machinewithout departing from said spirit as defined in the appended claims.

1. A vending machine having a slidable member, coin actuated mechanismnormally preventing the outward movement of the sliding membercomprising a latch pivotallv mounted on the sliding member and urgeddownward, said latch having a forwardly directed finger, a fixed memberbelow the sliding member having a notch with which the latch is normallyengaged, a coin supporting member disposed below the'coin slot of thecoin and having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined upper surfaceinclined downward to a point beneath the finger of the latch whereby toguide a coin into position beneath said finger and cause the coin tolift the finger upon a forward movement of the slidable member and thefinger, and means at the apex of said inclined portion for holding acoin in position upon a full stroke of the slidable member and therebyblock the further passage of that coin until a second coin is shiftedupward into such position.

2. In a vending machine having a slidablc tray, coin actuated mechanismnormally preventing the discharge movement of the tray comprising alatch pivotally mounted on the tray and urged downward, said latchhaving a forwardly directed finger, a fixed member below the tray havinga notch with which the latch is normally engaged, a downwardly inclinedmember disposed below the coin slot of the machine and inclined downwardand to a point beneath the finger on the latch whereby to guide a coininto position beneath said finger and cause the coin to lift the fingerupon a forward movement of the tray and finger, and means at the apex ofsaid inclined portion for holding a coin in position upon a full strokeof the tray to thereby block the further passage of that coin until asecond coin is shifted upward into such position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILTON J GOUDEAU.

